Solid electrolytic capacitors (e.g., tantalum capacitors) have been a major contributor to the miniaturization of electronic circuits and have made possible the application of such circuits in extreme environments. Conventional solid electrolytic capacitors are often formed by pressing a metal powder (e.g., tantalum) around a metal lead wire, sintering the pressed part, anodizing the sintered anode, and thereafter applying a solid electrolyte. The resulting capacitor element contains a lead wire that extends outwardly from the anode body and is welded at its end to an anode termination. The attachment of the metal lead wire to an anode body is often difficult due to pressing requirements and the small size of the capacitors. As such, great care must be taken to ensure that the anode body is not damaged, which increases manufacturing complexity, time, and costs. Further, the wire itself occupies space within the anode body and thus limits the volumetric efficiency that may be achieved. In response to these challenges, techniques have thus been developed that attempt to eliminate the metal lead wire from the capacitor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,399 to Salisbury, for example, describes a capacitor that contains a tantalum substrate sinter bonded to a tantalum wafer using a seed layer of tantalum particles. While avoiding the use of a lead wire, however, the seed layer particles present a new problem in that they are often difficult to handle and apply to the wafer during manufacturing. Thus, despite the benefits achieved, a need for improvement still remains.